Big Bear City, CA, January 16, 2014 – For all the work trees do to clean our air, pollinating trees are the bane of allergy sufferers. This week, the unseasonably warm weather and windy conditions are making the situation worse. Several websites that rate pollen levels on a scale from 1 to 12 show Big Bear averaging 9.1 over the next few days, with two of the biggest culprits being cedar and juniper. Friday will score the highest on the allergy index at 9.9.
Pollen counts tend to be highest early in the morning on warm, breezy days and lowest during chilly, wet periods. Normally, Big Bear would see about 4.33” of rain during January, along with 14.2” of snow. But the area has seen zero precipitation so far, and none is expected by the end of the month.
The National Institute of Health says approximately 35 million Americans complain of respiratory symptoms from pollen allergies. People with the most severe symptoms may want to avoid travel during sunny, windy weather, and wear face masks when working outdoors.
